Currently known internal combustion engines, in particular spark-ignition engines, include a catalytic converter, which based on a flow path to be covered by the exhaust gas is arranged in an exhaust tract downstream of the actual engine. In operating phases, in which a deceleration fuel cut out occurs, for example during coasting, oxygen accumulates in the catalytic converter. With known methods for controlling a motor vehicle with internal combustion engine and catalytic converter mixture enrichment is initiated for evacuating the oxygen from the catalytic converter. During the mixture enrichment, additional fuel is injected beyond a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio (lambda=1), which evacuates the oxygen in the catalytic converter.